The Outer Worlds 2 Preview: A Quirky RPG Packed With Personality

They say honesty is the best policy so I’ll be frank; I’ve not played Obsidian Entertainment’s 2019 RPG The Outer Worlds. As for why, well, there’s no great big revolutionary secret. It simply passed me by. Like many of you, my backlog is quaking. The mountainous list of games I’d like to sample only continues to grow and as such, The Outer Worlds is a title that’s escaped me for many years. Perhaps in this instance, though, that’s something that’s ended up being rather fortuitous.

When it comes to a sequel or follow-up title, so much chatter concerns its predecessor. ‘Is it better?’, ‘Is the world bigger?’, ‘What combat changes are present?’ are all the types of questions that you may see asked online and sure, Obsidian Entertainment is going to want to please its returning fans with this long-awaited follow-up to that 2019 release. It’s not the studio’s only intention though.

The Outer Worlds 2 is simultaneously a perfect jumping on point for new players, something that isn’t always abundantly clear when a title features a ‘2’. While, yes, the world will feel familiar to returning players who have a better understanding of The Outer Worlds’ wider lore, this isn’t actually a direct sequel. Instead, it’s set within a new world titled Arcadia where players will step into the shoes of an Earth Directorate agent. And guess who can provide that brand new player perspective? That’s right, it’s me.

I had the opportunity to go hands-on with The Outer Worlds 2 at this year’s Gamescom, creating my character and playing through the game’s opening mission. Perhaps the most honest way to summarise my sentiment is that I went into the preview session with neutral expectations and I left having firmly marked The Outer Worlds 2’s release date on my calendar. Boasting fluid gameplay, strong level design, intuitive RPG mechanics, and a unique, quirky identity, The Outer Worlds 2’s opening mission perfectly exhibited to me why this franchise should be a mainstay in the RPG genre.

As for what an Earth Directorate is, it’s essentially a space marshal and in this sequel, the player character is drafted off to save Arcadia from a devastating rift that threatens to destroy everything in its wake. That task will see you make key decisions, unite a crew, and engage with various factions and while those classic RPG features didn’t exactly come to light in the game’s opening, I can outline where it’s clear to me that The Outer Worlds 2 already excels.

The Outer Worlds 2, Credit / Xbox Game Studios

In the opening mission, it’s unveiled that Arcadia is in the midst of a factional war, with the Protectorate’s rule being challenged by a rebel faction. Introducing you to this conflict, the game’s first mission sees you tasked with infiltrating a key base. It’s a segment that’ll introduce you to all of the key combat mechanics, whether that’s gunplay or maintaining a stealthy approach. This all felt very fluid and intuitive. Had no one told me how to crouch, reload, heal, or switch weapons, I’d have done so successfully anyway. With the original The Outer Worlds, Avowed, and Fallout: New Vegas already under Obsidian’s belt, this is a studio that knows how to create smooth, instinctual combat.

Of course, your preferred playstyle can be bolstered by the choices you make during the character creation portion of the game. There are a ton of traits, backgrounds, and skills to choose from allowing for players to create an experience that perfectly suits what it is they’re after. Available options can make you an explosives expert, for example, if you just want to nuke everything in sight. In my demo, I opted for gun-bolstering options, knowing I likely had a firefight ahead of me in the preview session and should, in this instance, perhaps set myself up best for that. You can be a logical thinker, a brilliant engineer, a master of stealth … you name it.

You can also be an idiot, sickly, or just an asshole that nobody likes - and this is where The Outer Worlds 2’s unique identity comes into play. As well as selecting two positive traits, so too will you need to adopt a negative one to balance things out, all of which set you off on the back foot in a way that is either humorous or just simply interesting when it comes to adding a sense of challenge into the game. Being ‘dumb’, for example, permanently locks away certain skills while ‘sickly’ makes you more susceptible to damage.

If I recall, you can select only one positive trait if you wish to avoid acquiring a negative one too but I’d ask where’s the fun in that? Humans are flawed, and so many RPGs see us play as the overpowered chosen one destined to save the world. The chance to play as somewhat of a buffoon simply trying their best in world-ending circumstances seems much more of an enticing and entertaining prospect, if you ask me.

The Outer Worlds 2, Credit / Xbox Game Studios

Another factor that impressed me during the opening mission was its dual approach. A short way into the mission, the Earth Directorate’s team of four was tasked with splitting into two cohorts. One duo was tasked with taking down security systems while the other was entrusted with clearing the compound. I opted for the former task as I personally enjoy gameplay that demands a touch of stealth, exploration, and careful planning. I got exactly what I was hoping for, sneaking through various tunnels, acquiring items to disable computer settings, and eliminating poor unsuspecting foes who stood in my way.

What I haven’t stopped thinking about, though, is what the other version of this mission might have looked like had I opted to simply gun down all those within the compound. The Outer Worlds 2 isn’t an open-world title, but with so many RPGs being just that, I think it’s important that Obsidian still creates the illusion of freedom. I sense that’s what’s being done here and it’s effective. Naturally, I can’t speak of just how many other missions allow for this kind of dual playout - I have no idea - but if The Outer Worlds 2 maintains the kind of formula it’s exhibited here, it’ll make for an experience that has both great replayability and an all important sense of control and agency for the player.

Obsidian Entertainment is on quite the run. Avowed is easily one of this year’s standout releases, and a potential Game of the Year contender, while Grounded 2 has already outshone its predecessor in every way. If my hands-on with The Outer Worlds 2 is anything to go by, Obsidian’s winning streak doesn’t look set to end any time soon. This is shaping up to be an incredibly well-rounded RPG, capable of enticing in both returning and new fans.

The Outer Worlds 2 is scheduled to launch on 29 October on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.